The Phillies have been rolling, but that hasn’t erased the need for help at the deadline. If Philadelphia wants to keep pace with the sport’s top clubs, the lineup still needs another right-handed bat, and Detroit’s Gleyber Torres is the kind of name that could force some creative thinking.
Torres has long been known as a power bat in the middle infield. In seven seasons with the Yankees, he hit .265/.334/.441 with 138 homers across 3,673 plate appearances and made two All-Star teams despite a defensive reputation that never quite matched the offense.
After the 2024 season, New York moved on and the Tigers took a shot on him with a one-year, $15 million deal. That move worked.
Torres put up a .745 OPS in 145 games last year, earned his third All-Star selection, and then accepted Detroit’s qualifying offer this past winter for a shade over $22 million. He has been even better this season, posting a .790 OPS in 43 games.
The problem for Detroit is the record. At 35-48, the Tigers are well out of the playoff race, and that has opened the door to speculation that they could become sellers at the deadline. Tarik Skubal has drawn the loudest buzz, but if Detroit starts listening on veterans, Torres is another player who could surface.
A Phillies pursuit of Skubal feels unlikely given the strength of their rotation and the lack of tradeable assets. Torres, though, is a different conversation. The fit isn’t clean on the surface because Bryson Stott already owns second base, but that’s where the Phillies would have to get inventive.
One path would send Stott to shortstop, a position he has already handled in 110 big league games and at times as the injury replacement for Trea Turner over the past two seasons. Stott’s .994 career fielding percentage at second base suggests he could hold his own at the more demanding spot.
That would leave Turner as the next question. He has struggled badly this season, carrying a .626 OPS while also scuffling in the field.
He turns 33 soon, and his defense has taken a sharp step back, with 10 errors in 78 games. Those numbers have only added to the pressure on Philadelphia to find another right-handed hitter.
Turner has played center field before. In his rookie 2016 season with Washington, he got a 45-game look there and committed just two errors in 387 ⅔ innings. It would be a major ask to expect a smooth return to the outfield nearly a decade later, but his speed would help soften the landing.
If the Phillies made that kind of move, they’d be changing more than one spot on the card. Stott’s glove would improve the infield, Torres would deepen the lineup, and Philadelphia could move away from relying on either Justin Crawford or Gabriel Rincones Jr. as an everyday option. That would help reduce the number of easy outs in a lineup that still has too many of them.
For Philadelphia, the deadline may require a little imagination. A Torres trade, paired with Turner moving off shortstop, would be a bold answer to a real need. It’s a gamble, but for a team chasing October, it’s the kind of gamble worth considering.
In Other News...
Phillies Fans Just Got A Bryce Harper All-Star Gut Punch
The first round of All-Star voting brought plenty of good news for the Phillies, with Brandon Marsh piling up more than two million votes and landing second among National League outfielders. Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm also finished second at their positions, keeping their chances alive to start the All-Star Game and giving Philadelphia a real presence in the early returns.
Bryce Harper was the notable exception, even if he still appears headed for the roster when selections are finalized. For a team hoping to make this summer showcase feel like a home-field celebration in Philadelphia, Harper falling short of the next round leaves a little sting, especially with so many of his teammates still in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Could Flip A Major Offseason Addition If July Unravels
The Orioles are still hanging around the postseason picture, but July could end up deciding whether they stay in the race or start listening to offers. One player to watch is Taylor Ward, whose arrival has been a meaningful addition for Baltimore and whose profile fits the kind of move contenders circle once a front office decides it needs to protect some value.
MLB.coms Thomas Harrigan notes that Ward could be on the move if Baltimore cannot build momentum this month, a possibility tied to the reality of a looming free-agent departure. For a Phillies club that always keeps an eye on available outfield help, this is the sort of name that could surface quickly if the Orioles slip and shift from buyer to seller. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Could Make A Deadline Swing That Ends The Bohm Debate
The Phillies have been searching for a steadier answer at third base, and the conversation around Alec Bohm has only sharpened as the deadline draws closer. Bohm has been through a slow start this season before showing signs of life more recently, but the position remains one of the clearest places Philadelphia could look to upgrade if it wants a more dependable bat and glove for the stretch run.
Jon Heymans latest note suggests the front office could explore a bigger swing if the right opportunity presents itself, with the market shaped by both performance and price. Philadelphia also has to weigh its internal options, including Aidan Miller, though his back injury has kept him sidelined all year, which leaves the club with a familiar deadline question: stand pat and hope Bohm keeps trending up, or try to settle the spot before October becomes the focus. [Read more 🡒]